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Lincoln City is one of the largest cities on the Oregon Coast and has plenty to offer visitors. Whether you want to shop, gamble or try your hand at glass blowing, Lincoln City has you covered. If all the bustle of this city leaves you yearning to get back to nature, you can stroll along the beach or take a short drive to go for a hike at one of the trails not far from town.

Hart's Cove

The hike to Hart's Cove is one of the most scenic hikes near Lincoln City. The trail is inside the Cascade Head Scenic Research Area. To reach the trailhead, drive five miles north of town along Highway 101, turn west onto Forest Road 1861 and then continue four miles to the parking area. This road is unpaved, but is smooth enough to drive on in a standard passenger car. You'll spend the first 1.5 miles of the trail in old growth forest, then emerge into an open meadow. The end of the trail gives you a panorama of the Pacific and of Hart's Cove tucked into the cliff. The trail has some steep areas and is 5.4 miles round trip. To protect the mating grounds of the silverspot butterfly, this trail is closed Jan. 1 to July 15 each year.

Nature Conservancy Trail

The Nature Conservancy Trail takes you across the headland of Cascade Head. For a longer, tougher hike, start at the lower trailhead at Knight's Park on Three Rocks Road just north of Lincoln City on Highway 101. The trail takes you on a steep climb for one mile to the upper trailhead. From here, you can continue another, more level mile to take in the view of the Salmon River Estuary. For an easier hike, you can start at the upper trailhead on Forest Service Road 1861 one-half mile before the Hart's Cove trailhead. This road is closed from Jan. 1 to July 15 to protect the silverspot butterfly.

Cascade Head Trail

If you drive three miles north of Lincoln City along Highway 101 and turn left at Three Rocks Road, you'll see a small parking area. This is the trailhead for the South Trail of Cascade Head. This trail gives you an excellent workout as you hike up Cascade Head and through old growth forests. Because there are no stunning views except for occasional glimpses of the Pacific, this trail is the least busy of the Cascade Head Trails. As of time of publication, you can only take the southern portion of the trail as far as Forest Service Road 1861. The north end is closed due to fallen trees.

Drift Creek Falls

This hike isn't far from Lincoln City, but you must drive cautiously on the road leading to the trailhead, which will add to your travel time. To reach Drift Creek Falls Trail, drive south on Highway 101. Shortly past the city limits of Lincoln City, you'll see the signs for Drift Creek Falls. Turn east onto Drift Creek Road and then left onto the single-lane Forest Road 17. After 10 miles, you'll reach a paved parking lot for the trailhead. The hike is three miles round trip, and takes you to a suspension bridge from which you can see the namesake falls. The trail is steep in some places.

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About the Author

Based in Portland, Ore., Tammie Painter has been writing garden, fitness, science and travel articles since 2008. Her articles have appeared in magazines such as "Herb Companion" and "Northwest Travel" and she is the author of six books. Painter earned her Bachelor of Science in biology from Portland State University.

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